Reflective coatings or films have been used to selectively reflect or transmit light radiation from various portions of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum, such as ultraviolet, visible, and/or infrared radiation. For instance, reflective coatings are commonly used in the lamp industry to coat reflectors and lamp envelopes. One application in which reflective coatings are useful is to improve the illumination efficiency, or efficacy, of lamps by reflecting infrared energy emitted by a filament, or arc, toward the filament or arc while transmitting visible light of the electromagnetic spectrum emitted by the light source. This decreases the amount of electrical energy necessary for the light source to maintain its operating temperature. Another application of reflective coatings is to improve the efficacy of luminaires by reflecting the visible light from the lamp from a high-reflectance coating on the surface of the luminaire to redirect the light into the intended application space.
In addition to the reflectance (R %) of the reflective coating, the coating can also be described in terms of angular distribution of reflectance, known as the bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) In general, BRDFs may be characterized as specular (mirror-like) and diffuse. A perfectly specular reflector obeys Snell's Law whereby all light rays exit from the surface at a reflection angle, θ, relative to the normal that is same as the incident angle, θ, if the surface is embedded in air, having index of refraction=1. A perfectly diffuse reflector has a Lambertian BRDF whereby the distribution of reflected light varies as cos(θ), independent of the incident angle. Practical reflectors are neither perfectly specular, nor perfectly diffuse. Any practical specular reflector will have a small component of diffuse reflectance, generally known as scatter or haze. Any practical diffuse reflector will have a small specular component of reflection. A diffuse reflector having a relatively high specular component is generally known as glossy, while a reflector having near zero specular component is generally known as matte or flat. In specular reflection, the angle of the light reflected from the surface is equal and opposite to the angle of the incident light. A diffuse reflector scatters the incident light over a range of directions. While the amount of overall reflectance of a coating can be controlled through its components, the control of the BRDF also depends on the surface morphology (roughness).
Thus, a continuing need exists for new methods of controlling the type and relative amounts of reflectance (e.g., specular vs. diffusive reflection) in a reflective coating, especially for inclusion in a lamp or other lighting device.